Why cant horses eat sand?

Question

I bought a pony and the owner mentioned she has had him treated for sand in his system, so I reserched it and found out sand shouldnt be ingested by horses, why is that? What does it do to their systems?

I realise you wouldnt feed sand to a horse but why is it so dangerous?

Answer 1

It builds up in their large intestine and clogs it up.  A blockage is called an impaction.  You may have heard that term.  Impactions cause colic (a very bad stomach ache) which is often fatal to horses.

Answer 2

It doesn't pass through their system. It can get stuck in their one and only stomach. It is the cause of sand colic. Sand colic is not a disease, but an indication of pain and it can be fatal. I know people who lost horses to sand colic.

I live in the desert and feed my horse psyllium seven days a month. It makes any sand in their system come out. I recomend that you buy some and use it.

Good luck with your new pony!!!

Answer 3

if they eat sand instead of grass you have to make them eat hay so it leaves theyre system

Answer 4

It compacts in their stomachs, blocking anything from being digested, and because horses cant throw up it all just sits there and fills up, then they colic, we feed our horses a product called psyllium  you can get it at most feed stores and you usually feed it for one full week a month and it prevents sand colic. If you see signs of colic (your horse is laying down constantly and is not eating his food, or you cant hear gut sounds) you should call your vet, they'll usually pump mineral oil into his stomach to break up the blockage

below is a site for one brand of psyllium

Answer 5

My guess would be that sand can cause blockage in their digestive system?

Answer 6

pretty much for the same reason that you can't eat sand either....   : )

Answer 7

Well I know that ingesting sand can lead to something called Sand colic.

Answer 8

it causes a illness called colic

because the sand doesnt digest  it sits in the horses stomach.

the horse gets irritated and starts rolling and lying down so much that it actually twists its organs in its stomach. not very often does a horse die unless it is left too long. horses are drenched with parafin oil to help the sand and other gunk in their stomachs pass through every 6 months.

Answer 9

sand does not digest, it sinks to the bottom of the stomach, and cause a form of colic, all horses should be given and kept on a monthly dose treatment usually a week of ( Sand Clear ) which bonds with those items in the gut and flushes it out . if not treated it can kill a horse, also they can pick up sand and dirt from grazing in the field

Answer 10

sand is stones, so basically the horse eats stones.

its really dangerous because you can't digest stones, and can cause a block.

Answer 11

some times they breathe it in, and sometimes that makes them roarers.(do some research on that one) when they eat it, it accumulates in their gut and gives them severe colic.

Answer 12

Sand is used by glass makers in the process of making glass.

Sand colic can kill a horse. It cuts into the intestine lining and causes inflammation. If the inflammation is very severe (long exposure to sand) the lining swells up and causes colic, In very severe cases the lining adheres to its self and that is then impacted colic.

If you graze horses on sandy ground you should ALWAYS feed bran in the feed, and NEVER over graze the paddocks. When the grass gets very short they can't help but eat the sand.

Answer 13

Sand blockages can cause huge problems in a horse's digestive system and intestines.  It can infact cause colic.  My quarter horse dropped some food on sand, and tried to eat it up again.  She got a large amount of sand digested, and could have coliced.  She couldn't p**p, so all the food was getting blocked up.  We had to call the vet out on an emergancy call, and he had to reach into her (kinda gross), and extract all the sand he could.  We had to give her medicine for several days to keep the sand moving.  All in all, it's a pretty big ordeal when a horse eats sand, or a large amount of dirt.  Try to make sure your horse isn't fed on sand, so they won't accidentally pick it up.  Other wise, they're probably smart enough not to eat it on their own.

Answer 14

ur horse was probably lacking nutrients and found abit in the sand. itz, dangerous 4 horses cus it can clog thier arteries and it turns hard in the stomach and blocks the system.